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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. mine — for digging
  3. fine — high quality
  4. cap — of ice
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. fine — all right
  20. cap — a lid
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. cap — a hat

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com